Low-pressure steam-generator.



F. P. GOFFIN.

Low PRESSURE STEAM GENERATOR. APPLGATION ILBD AUG. 10, 1012.

Patented July 28, 1914M 5.6 i H m w .L R mm om mw. oN. Q o. .u o9 w .n v. M -...o .W Q m .ooi w w u nog D m wom. M W :oOON m femm ....N. WK

.mmmuw Liu rran 'srafrns Para OFFICE.

FRANCIS P. COFFIN, GF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

"OW-PRESSURE STEAM-GENERATOR.

Application filed August 1C, 1032.

To all yir/iom if may concern Be it known that AI, FiiANoIs l. CorriN, a citizen of the United States, residing at richeiiectady, county ot' Schenectady, Statev of New York, have invented certain new' and iise't'ul Improvements in Low-Pressure Steamtieiierators,of which the vfollowing,l is a specitication.

rlthis invention relates to apparatus `for the generation ot' steam at low pressure :for use is a low pressure turbine, and its object is to provide iy simple and inexpensive device capable ot generating steam 'from hot water. A

The invention is intended more particularly for use in connection with solar water heaters, but it is not necessarily liniitettto such systems.

It has been proposed heretofore to run a low pressure turbine with hot water by expanding the water during its passage through the nozzles 'troni atmospheric pres4 sure to a 28 inch vacuum, thereby flashing about ten per cent. of its volume into steam. This was expected to give a jet ot' steam and water spray in a homogeneous mixture. -A surface condenser would be used to return the water to the heater at about 102 degrees Fahrenheit; the original temperature of thi` water being Q02 degrees Fahrenheit. Such a project appears` to ine to be ii'iipractical` on account of the fluid frictionl in the turbine and the greatsize ot' the surface condenser required for a turbine of a given output.. My invention aims to avoidthese difficulties by separating the water and steam bet'ore the lattei` enters the turbine, the Percentages being about D0 or the water and l0 for the steam. This method permits the use of either a baroinetric yn a jet condenser for the exhaust steain. while the water returns to the heater without unnecessary loss of its remaining Sensible heat.

The steam is separated by allowing the hot water to rise through a baroinetrio column, with as many free surfaces at ditl'ereiit levels as there are stages in the turbine, the space above said surface beiner connected with its respective stage. Steam is disengaged at each surface and is t'ed to its appropriate stage through an independent set ot' nozzles; the lower stapjes having: addi` tional nozzles for the exhaust steam from the upper stages. The inlet valves At'or gov* Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 28, 1914.

Serial No. 714,371.

criiing may be distributed among Lne independent inlets to the several stages.

A ftcr being tilted with hot water, the circulation in my baroiiictric steam generator is automatic. '.llie steam bubbles reduce the density ot the rising column, while the overflow column consists of solid heavier water which acts as a theriiiirsiplion to assist the circulation. It a solar heater is used, this d owii-tlow column may give enough heat to circulate the water through the heater and storage tank. .ln the aceoinf'iaiiying drawings, Figure l is a vertical section o't one torin of my steam generator; Fig. E2 is i diagram showing,l the temperature range and energy available for a 'four stage generator and turbine, Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view ot' another 't'orin of generato and Fig. 4 is a cross-section thereof on a larger scale.

The generator illustrated in Fig. 1 has an outside jacket 1,-iiiside of which is a casing 2, both being preferably cylindrical and having between them a space 8 which may be si'iiiply an air-space or may be filled with lient-insulating material. A tier ot open i'ecept'ac-lcs fills the upper part ot' the casing, the number depending' upon the number of stages in thi` l turbine to be supplied with steam. Ilie drawing' shows four receptacles, l, 5, ti and T. preferably hopper-shaped, with an opening S at the bottom. The lower end ot' each ol tlic three uppermost receptacles 5, (i, T dips below the upper edge ot' the one below, and its opening is protected by a bathe-plate t). rlfhe bottoni ot' the lowest receptacle -t is connected to a pipe 'l0 whose lower end extends out through one side of the casing,r 2 and jacket l into an open tank t1 to which the hot water is 'fed by a pipe 12.

The receptacles tit the, asiiig Iluidtight forming chambers 4.', 5', t, 7 above the respective hoppers. From each chamber leads a pipe i, 5", ti", 7 to the respective stages ot' the tui-bine, pipe Lt supplying the first or hi rhest pressure stage, and so on.

ihe heightot' each chamber above the level ot the water in the tank l1 depends upon the desired ratios between the stage pressiires.

The diagram, Fig. 2, assumes the first stage temperature to cover a drop of twenty degrees, from 200 to '180. The absolute pressure corresponding with 180 degrees is 7 .51

;'zzo tlv-laine my? muh with two "flu 'f a muy live urscfl m s. Smgls a Prin o uw @ons e ion v of 'klm regulated, as by cams 26 anal;

From @ach {imnpmmem a pip@ 120 19, 302 lends to 'the sfespecti'v@ Stage t Jiu'lrm-:- The presme, in @ncl/x conm ffm pannen? Clwimmls upon the amount of 'thotmmf linzj emefl by ille valves between lue f3@ lilla l :mnjvm-tmuts. Tlyle c @led Wam? fyom 125 Y uw in m which the Steam has evaporated escapes by l z Ewa stagg@ u a wipe 2S and may be returned to the mater. l'sf, rwzu Tls lalzm apparatus is hof@ confined in its applicacn to genmatinglow pressure steam. lil In" Slim www: may he pumpec into a 550mg@ 33@ tank under boiler pressure during the hours of light load,v in a steam power station, aud stored until the peak load comes on. Multi stage throttling may thenbe applied'in connection with feed pipes leading' to the vari ous stages ot' a high pressure turbine. l

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of operation of my invention, toe'ether with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative, and that the intention can be carried out. by other means.

that l claim as ne i and desire to secure by Letters Patent ot' the United States, is:

l. Means for generating steam trom hot water which comprises a plurality of chaml bers, means for simultaneously passing hot water through them iu series and leading-'olf steam from successive chambers for utilization in the respective stages of a multistage turbine.

2. Means for generating steam from hot water which comprises a plurality of eham bers, means for passing hot Water through them in series, and meansV for leading oil.' from successive chambers steam oi successively lower pressures for utilization in the successive stages of a multistage turbine.

3. A maratus for eneratinosteam at low` l t s pressure, consisting' in means for maintaining a barometrie column of het water. and means :tor drawing' oft steam trom said eol- -uinn at ditl'erent levels eorrespoiuling' with the stages oi a low-lin'essiu'e turbine.

l. Apparatus iter generating steam 'from hot water comprising a series of communicating receptacles arranged at different levels, means for maintainingr a barometric column et het water in said receptacles, and

and a down-[low means t'or drawing; ofi' steam l'rom said receptacles at pressures which increase respectively from the lowest to the highest thereof. A

iiiiparatus tor generating' steam from hot vi ter which consists in ineans Afor t'eedine said hot 'ater through a barometrie column, chambers at dill'erent levels commuuicatiimr with said eolumn and in which the steam evaporates at dill'erent pressures, pipes For leading' oil' the steam t'rom said chambers pipe :from the upper eham ber to a hot well, said down-flow column of water exerting' a thermo-siphon action.

(i. 'lhe combination with a easing. et a tier ot. lumpershaped reeeiiitacles fitting tightly therein, the lower end ot each dip pini;- slinhtly below the level of the top ot the one below, a :teed pipe entering the bottom ot the lower remuitaele, a down-[low 'pipe enteringn the chamber above the upper receptacle, and steam pipes communicating with the ehamlurs above said receptacle, the heigrlit of the apparatus being such that a column of hot water can be maintained in said t'eed pipe and tier of receptaclesby baiometrie pressure.

7. Apparatus for generating steam from hot water at pressures corresponding' with predetermined temperature drops, which eonsiss in means l'or :teediimr said water up through a barometrie column, and chanibers communieatiin; with said, column at levels determintal by the difference between atmospheric pressure and the absolute pressures at the temperatures assumed.

ln witness whereof, l have hereunto set my hand thisl 0th day ot August, i912.

lnNJaMiN HULL, l-lnLi-:N Oiufonn. 

